Eight teams were in on Jose Abreu per his agent, Barry Praver. Five hit $60 mil mark.

Jose Abreu can opt out of contract for arbitration with #WhiteSox after three seasons. Would be under team control.

Interesting. Unless Abreu turns out to be a bust, then I can't imagine him NOT making himself arbitration-eligible beginning in 2017 and he might be making quite a bit more than the $10.5M-12M listed for the final 3 years of his contract.

I'm not complaining by any means, but it's not as simple as locking him up for 6yrs/$68M.

Interesting. Unless Abreu turns out to be a bust, then I can't imagine him NOT making himself arbitration-eligible beginning in 2017 and he might be making quite a bit more than the $10.5M-12M listed for the final 3 years of his contract.

Maybe, but I don't think that's worth stressing over. If he's getting the extra money it means that he turned out to be Ryan Howard in his prime.

Eight teams were in on Jose Abreu per his agent, Barry Praver. Five hit $60 mil mark.

Jose Abreu can opt out of contract for arbitration with #WhiteSox after three seasons. Would be under team control.

That says a lot about what teams' scouts feel about his potential. Even if he's Adam Dunn bad for the duration, this was a huge signing for us. Much better than chasing old players just to be semi-competitive. Hahn had a really terrible start to his GM tenure with some really bonehead moves, but between this and the Peavy trade things are definitely looking up.

Like I said, i'm not complaining about by any means. I'm just pointing out that there seems to be a good chance that his salary for years 4-6 will be higher than what is listed above.

I don't think he has to be Ryan Howard in his prime to get a better deal either.

Mmmm...IDK, he'd have to put up pretty crazy numbers in years 1-3 to even get $10.5 million in arbitration in year 4. That would be a huge first year arbitration number. That said, if he's that Ryan Howard player, then yes of course he should go ahead and file. Ultimately, unless years 1-3 are ridiculous (which would be a good thing), he's likely to take arbitration only in the last two seasons.

Mmmm...IDK, he'd have to put up pretty crazy numbers in years 1-3 to even get $10.5 million in arbitration in year 4. That would be a huge first year arbitration number. That said, if he's that Ryan Howard player, then yes of course he should go ahead and file. Ultimately, unless years 1-3 are ridiculous (which would be a good thing), he's likely to take arbitration only in the last two seasons.

I wonder if it's an option to opt out only once between years 3 and 4, or every offseason after year 3.

I wonder if it's an option to opt out only once between years 3 and 4, or every offseason after year 3.

I wonder how this works, because the right to arbitration is governed by the CBA, but how can the Sox sign Abreu to a 6-year-deal but still be vulnerable to his arb years, yet they can sign Chris Sale to an extension that extends through what would have been his arb years, yet Sale has no right to go to arbitration? Is it because this is Abreu's first MLB contract? Would the Sox and Abreu have had to specifically decline arbitration in the contract?

Mmmm...IDK, he'd have to put up pretty crazy numbers in years 1-3 to even get $10.5 million in arbitration in year 4. That would be a huge first year arbitration number. That said, if he's that Ryan Howard player, then yes of course he should go ahead and file. Ultimately, unless years 1-3 are ridiculous (which would be a good thing), he's likely to take arbitration only in the last two seasons.

Arbitration takes into account prior years compensation, so if he opts for arbitration then it would be based on his year 3 salary, not a standard player that came in making the minimum for the first 3 years.
The salary offer to a player under team control may not be less than 80% of the player's total compensation from the prior year, and may not be less than 70% of his compensation from 2 years earlier.

I wonder how this works, because the right to arbitration is governed by the CBA, but how can the Sox sign Abreu to a 6-year-deal but still be vulnerable to his arb years, yet they can sign Chris Sale to an extension that extends through what would have been his arb years, yet Sale has no right to go to arbitration? Is it because this is Abreu's first MLB contract? Would the Sox and Abreu have had to specifically decline arbitration in the contract?

I think that was just an option negotiated into Abreu's contract, not anything mandated by the CBA. Sale could have negotiated such an option, but didn't.

I think that was just an option negotiated into Abreu's contract, not anything mandated by the CBA. Sale could have negotiated such an option, but didn't.

Generally, when teams sign pre-arbitration-eligible players to six-year contracts, the purpose is to avoid arbitration. Sale gave up arbitration for the security of more years in his contract. Abreu apparently wanted the security of the years without giving up right to arbitration. That he seems to have gotten it probably points to how competitive the market for him was.

I don't believe I've ever seen that before in a deal. On the positive side, Abreu seems to have put in a financial incentive to produce. But how it will work out remains to be seen.